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US 12,117,763 B2Granted
Development device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHiroaki Nosho, Toru Oguma, Tetsuya Numata
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There are demands for stable connections of contact points between a process cartridge, including a development device, and an image forming device. A development contact point, a first contact point, and a second contact point are disposed in this order on the inside in a perpendicular direction with respect to an insertion direction in which a development device is inserted into an image forming apparatus.
Claims14
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a main assembly including a main body contact,
- wherein the main body contact includes:
- (i) a first main body contact point,
- (ii) a second main body contact point, and
- (iii) a third main body contact point;
- a cartridge including,
- a housing configured to store developer,
- a conveyance member configured to convey the developer, a developer carrying member configured to carry the developer, and
- a cartridge contact including
- (i) a first contact point plate configured to be electrically connected to the first main body contact point,
- (ii) a second contact point plate configured to be electrically connected to the second main body contact point;
- and
- (iii) a third contact point plate configured to be electrically connected to the third main body contact point;
- and
- a cartridge support member to which the cartridge is removably attached,
- wherein the cartridge support member is movable, relative to the main assembly, from a first position where the cartridge is attached to the main assembly and the cartridge support member is inside of the main assembly to a second position where the cartridge is capable of being attached to and being removed from the cartridge support member,
- wherein, in a state where the cartridge support member is at the first position, the first main body contact point is directly below the first contact point plate and presses the first contact point plate, the second main body contact point is directly below the second contact point plate and presses the second contact point plate, and the third main body contact point is directly below the third contact point plate and presses the third contact point plate,
- wherein the first main body contact point, the second main body contact point, and the third main body contact point are disposed at different positions with respect to a rotation axis direction of the developer carrying member, and
- wherein the first main body contact point, the second main body contact point, and the third main body contact point are disposed at different positions with respect to a direction orthogonal to an insertion direction of the cartridge support member, and the insertion direction is a direction in which the cartridge support member is moved from the second position to the first position.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.